Happy birthday, Captain James T. Kirk!

 

William Shatner, born March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, will always be best known as his role as Captain James T. Kirk on the cult classic television show Star Trek. He appeared in the first original series from 1966 to 1969. He appeared in the six movie adaptions of the TV series and the final Star Trek: Generations.  He starred in the TV movies TekWar, based on the novel he co-wrote. 

In October 2021, he became the oldest person, at that time, to fly in space.  At the age of 90, he flew on Blue Origin's NS-18 suborbital flight on October 13, 2021.

William Shatner SNL skit: Get a Life!

Celebrating Pride Month: Les Mouches Fantastiques, first LGBT magazine in North America

 

Les Mouches fantastiques (The Fantastic Flies) was the first LGBT publication in North American history, being published between 1918-1920. It was an underground magazine based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It started from a writing circle established by Elsa Gidlow (poet) and Roswell George Mills as its primary contributors. It included poetry and non-fiction about gay and lesbian issues, such as identity, politics, and editorials.

Only five issues of Les Mouches fantastiques were ever published, but it had a wide distribution, receiving correspondence as far away as Havana, Cuba. It was discontinued when Gidlow and Mills moved to New York City in 1920.

Happy birthday, astronaut Gregory Chamitoff!

Gregory Chamitoff, born August 6, 1962 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has been in space twice.  

His first trip was aboard Discovery (STS-124) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2008.  He participated in Expeditions 17 and 18 spending about six months on the space station.  He returned to Earth aboard Endeavour (STS-126) in November.

His second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-134) to the International Space Station in May-June 2011.  He spent almost 16 days in space.  It was the last flight of Endeavour. 

He spent a total of 198 days, 18 hours in space.  

Celebrating Black History Month: Boston Vigilance Committee frees escaped slave Shadrach Minkins 1851

Shadrach Minkins escaped slavery in Virginia in 1850 and fled to Boston.  He worked as a waiter until February 1851 when he was arrested by federal marshals and taken to the courthouse. The Boston Vigilance Committee, an abolitionist organization to protect escaped slaves from being captured and returned to slavery in the South, hired lawyers to defend Minkins.  

On February 15, 1851, about twenty black activists stormed the courthouse, overpowered the marshals, and released Minkins. They spirited him away in a wagon to Beacon Hill and hid him in an attic until nightfall.  With the help of the Underground Railroad, he escaped to Canada.

He settled in Montreal and never returned to the United States.  He passed away in December 1875.